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[tvandfilmwriting]

Research

The main reason for this particular story line that I have chose to base my script on comes from a true story background with some added extras to give this narrative a bit more flair and interest to the audience. The main protagonist in this narrative is based on my brother and his journey from playing football and having high hopes to progress to then getting an injury and turning his career path to becoming a golfer. I would say that most of my primary research was based on stories around me that I could develop and this was the one that I thought was best to build on and make into the most believable narrative. 

Once I had decided on my storyline, I then began doing more in depth secondary research into films that had similar elements as my narrative. The two films that I came cross were "Happy Gilmore” and “Goal”; both of these have the sporty genre as well as the romantic genre entertained into their storyline. After seeing that both of these films were a success, it gave me the confidence in thinking that if written well enough, there was potential with my narrative doing just as well. There is a fine line when it comes to sport genre films, for example Martine Scorses’ “Raging Bull” was a major box office flop due to the violence, anger and narrow target audience being aimed mainly at men and those who liked boxing; I however would aim to make my narrative appealing to a wide audience by incorporating the romantic twist to the storyline which appeals to a majority of females and then the sports side including both football and golf entices males as well. 

Following this I looked into different production companies that I thought could be potentials to pitch my proposal to, to see if they would commission my script. These included Brillstein Enterainment Partners; the production company for Happy Gilmore, Touchstone Pictures; the production company for Goal. I would like to contact either of these as they were part of my research into crating the script I did. In addition the other production companies I researched into were ‘All3Media’ and ‘Dragonfly film and TV productions’ as both of these listed that they were invested in sport and romantic genre films so thought they would be good to contact and with having done the relevant research into similar and successful films it helps back up my script and help the production companies relate to where some of my ideas have come from.

[tvandfilmwriting]

Proposal

Have you ever wondered how a professional golfer's life began? Nathan had high hopes for a career on the football pitch but after an injury his path took a turn and he looked to playing golf...but does having a dream as a boy necessarily mean it cannot become reality?

Synopsis

We follow Nathan's journey growing up through the struggles of being chosen to play for Kent and then on to England. As a young boy he always had his sights on playing football but would go to the local pitch and putt course with his dad for fun. Never did either of them realise that with the practise and dedication this would be the path that Nathan took. Finance was a little bit of a struggle for Nathan's parents, a growing boy constantly needing new club, shoes and membership fees all adds up! He could always strike a golf ball and had an eye for a putt, could he be the next Tiger Woods?

The narrative begins with Nathan and his son Josh playing on a pitch and putt course where Josh become curious as to how his dad got to to the top. Nathan then goes into a flash back where it all began. we start with seeing Nathan playing football, being quite like a mini Beckham on the pitch; however we then see how he gets an injury in which his football career suffers. Following this, after a rest to recover we see Nathan pick up his golf clubs and never look back. Winning competition after competition, him and his parents realise he hd something special. By the age of 15 he was a 5 handicap; but we all know what else comes with teenagers growing up...girls! Nathan meets a girl called Theodora and suddenly his vision becomes blurred. Although still practising his golf, Nathan becomes distracted and starts spending more and more time with Dora. Until one day Dora turns nasty, she does not believe in Nathan's ability to become a professional golfer and says to him he has to make a decision, it's either her or his golf. Nathan is young; he doesn't know quite what to do and ends up losing Dora due to her lack of patience and understanding.With this Nathan goes a little off the rails as he believes that he has lost what he really cared about. He takes things to the extreme, he stops playing golf, he doesn't want to eat his greens as this reminds him too much of the gold course and just stays in his room, curtains closed playing xbox. After weeks of this attitude and behaviour Nathan finally starts to calm down and gets talking to a girl called Lexi who he met through xbox online. They get talking and eventually decide to meet up, apprehensive that this could be a set up Nathan arrives late to see that this girl is true, through spending more time together Lexi begins to see Nathan for who he really is and manages to get Nathan back on track to where he is supposed to be heading...becoming a professional golfer. With Lexi's help and laid back fun approach, going to play crazy golf, helping Nathan with his eating habits, Nathan finally begins to see just how he has missed playing golf and how he began to love it in the first place. Hard work and dedication sees Nathn turn pro by the time he was 22 and play his first professional Golf Tournament over in America. All is going well until Dora decides to arrive back on the scene after seeing Nathan become something and earning money...something she is driven by, fame and fortune. Waltzing up to Nathan and trying to convince him that she was the one to make the mistake and that they belong together sees Nathan finally step out of his shell and kick her to the curb where she belongs, choosing Lexi over Dora as she was the one who helped him see was right and show him that it is alright to be different and follow what you believe in. 

PROTAGONISTS

Nathan is this tall, groomed and attractive teenager that doesn't shy away from girl attention. Through this film the audience see two different sides to Nathan, he us a strong and ambitious boys who knows what he wants to achieve yet he is scared to be different or individual and he likes to follow his friends around to fit in and with Dora leaving him the audience see this strong boy turn into someone who is weak with a fragile state of mind taking his actions to the extreme. 

Lexi is the underdog who sees Nathan for who he really is. Although she may not be the prettiest flower around, she has the personality that sees her inner beauty come shining through. She helps Nathan get back on track to where she knows he is supposed to be heading.

ANTAGONIST

Theodora is the girl that every boy thinks they want, the tall, slim, blonde barbie. A real trophy hunter, she only sees and believes what she wants and isn't afraid to crush peoples dreams in the process. She puts on a facade of the sweet and innocent angel, yet beneath that layer is the head strong women that she really is who is manipulative to get what she wants. 

TARGET AUDIENCE

A film of this sporty and romantic genre can appeal to a range of people. It can stem from those who love Golf and aspire to become a golfer to those who like a film with a romanic essence. I would rate this as a 12A as a few choice words would be used with the odd scene that would also involve sexual references. 

SUBTEXT

The additional meaning behind this film is that being a trophy hunter will not get you anywhere. going after people for what they have is shallow and is not a nice attribute to have. Being honest and seeing people for who they are is the best way forward. Don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd and do something different to achieve what you want, it's alright to make mistakes, we all need to live and learn. 

INSPIRATION

For my title I tried to incorporate aspects from the film such as the football and golf side. Pitch from the football and putt from the golf. I think it is quite an enticing and catchy title as it makes the audience curious as to what could be involved. The names of my characters stem from their personality and what they stand for. Nathan means gift from god therefore being fitting with the gift of his talent for golf. Lexi means defender of boys being there for Nathan and leading him in the right direction. Theodora means strong and wilful being symbolic of her personality. 

My Unique Selling Point is that this is not a typical sport film, there is a story within a story with the love side to it, Showing people they can be different and its alright to stand out and not have to follow the crowd to be successful.

In my opinion as far as practicality for filming goes I believe that it would be achievable as I have half based this idea on a true story with some added extras such as the love story that runs alongside. 

In terms of how sellable the film would be, looking back at films such as Happy Gilmore in 1996 this film was hugely popular and I consider this film to be just as successful. 

[tvandfilmwriting]

Pitch

A verbal presentation that allows for the expansion of key points of a proposal.

Pitch the prepared proposal to a near professional standard expressing ideas fluently and using subject terminology correctly.

Know your client (research)

Know your target audience (age, social, background, gender, why, how you know it suits them, social background - something they can relate to/ social democratic)

Know your USP (what makes your idea stand out)

Timing is everything. Making sure you keep it tight and do not babble on whilst keeping all the essential information.

Titles sell (make the most of it) Ensure you tell the buyer how you came up with the title/ story and what your inspiration was. Explain the genre, this sets the expectations and gives the buyer something to connect with.

Explain the logline/brief/ premise - avoid telling the whole story, just hit the basic beats. Use the fairy tale effect, bare bones, this happens then this happens etc. Just hit the most important bits that will explain your story.

Questions to answer in your pitch

Who are the audience rooting for?

Who is the hero/ heroine/ protagonist?

What situation do we find them in?

What situation changes that?

What situation are they heading for? (endings, audiences always remember endings)

Rounding it up

Ensure that a few similar examples of films. Make sure you avoid saying 'that's all' too soon, keep them involved, do they have any questions? Make sure when pitching you are thorough.

[tvandfilmwriting]

Character - Driven or Action

What kind of writer are you?

A preference of style...

Are you more adept at developing complex, interesting and quirky characters OR Do you excel at page turning action.

Successful writers are good at creating both the character emotional development plot line and the dramatic action plot line. With being a writer you have to be aware of your strengths and addressing your weaknesses. A balance needs to be created when written.

  Action Driven Writers

They tend to focus on logical thinking, rational analysis and accuracy. They tend to rely more on the left side of their brain, approaching writing in a linear function and seeing the story in its parts. Action driven writers like structure and usually pre plot or create an outline before writing. They have little trouble expressing themselves in words. 

  Character Driven Writers

They tend to focus on aesthetics and feelings, creativity and imagination. They access the right side of their brains and enjoy playing with the beauty of language. Character driven writers are holistic and subjective where they tend to be intuitive and like to work things out on the page. However, they tend to be more disorganised and random when writing, they see the story as a whole and fill in the details as they go along. Right brain writers may know what they mean but often have trouble finding the right words.

  Questions

Protagonists overall story goal?

What stands in his/her way of achieving this?

What does he/she stand to lose, if not successful?

Flaw or greatest fault?

Greatest strength?

Hates?

Loves?

Fear?

Secret?

Dream?

Being able to answer questions 1-3 means more of a dramatic driven writer.

Questions5-10 means more character drive.

Answering all easily means more both and stories come easily.

  Without an understanding of points 1-3 you have no front story. The dramatic action plot line is what gets the reader turning the pages, without it there is little excitement on the page. Without a firm understanding of questions 4-10 you are more likely to line up action pieces of your story, arrange them in a logical order and then draw conclusions. Yet, no matter how exciting the action, this presentation lacks human elements. Such as omission increases your chances of losing your audiences interest, readers read 70% for character.

[tvandfilmwriting]

THE COMMISSIONING PROCESS

The Commissionimg Process is about getting your idea from paper to production;producing an initial idea and writing a script. As every part of the TV industry this is a collaborative process in which everyone has their job roles to make the idea come alive and be as successful as possible. A Script Editor works closely with the writer offering advice and guidance, however they will not write the script. They provide feedback to the writers on what works, what doesn't as well as if they feel the script is of the correct standard for what you are writing for whether it be a TV Programme or a film. Their guidance and attention to detail checking punctuation and layout helps achieve a professional standard giving the script that extra boost; if a script is set out well and easy to read it has a better chance of getting commissioned as oppose to one that is disorganised and scruffy that may not even reach the reading pile. As a script writer employing a literary agent can be improves chances of scripts getting commissioned with their contacts to expose your work. Agents take care of the business end of scriptwriting and it is their job to find work, most agents are reputable meaning production companies will take notice of their approaches. On the other hand some agents do not accept unsolicited scripts, so if this was to be the case the writer would have to send a letter first asking if they would be interested and wanted to read some sample chapters. As an agent it is their job to go through lots of scripts and submit the best ones. A good agent does not charge a reading fee. It is important as a scriptwriter to have a good agent to represent you. They know your style and genre of writing so therefore they should be able to contact he production companies that are interested in your type of work. The commissioning editors have the final say, and control the future of an idea being produced. CEs usually have previous experience in various areas and have progressed up the ladder with the knowledge of most aspects oh the filmmaking process. Their task is to plan, organise and manage the process of products once they have been approved to be commissioned. Their ultimate aim is to ensure the script/idea is the right one to create big ratings for the TV/Film and generate big revenue. Editorial Assistants also provide administrative support for the CEs. Once a script has been commissioned the Executive Producers being all of the elements of the production together such as funding, commissioning the actors, supervising and coordinating; they also have significant involvement in the script selection and receive information from the CE once the script has been selected. Researchers have to find the relevant topic information for the process to smoothly and to research the locations in which would be suitable to shoot at. The Director is the one with the vision. It is them who translates the script into a visual production, should the idea be commissioned. Their opinion is crucial, after reading the script they will feed back to the script editors on what they feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the script and provide a report. Before the Director has even finished reading the script they will know if they love or hate it. The better they like it, the more passionate they will be about turning it into an onscreen production. If the Director is impressed then they can influence the decision of the commissioning process. When writing it is essential to know what type of product you have. The key considerations are about identifying the genre, identifying the style, identifying the audience, identifying the potential demand of an odd and identifying the U.S.P; unique selling point, this could be the difference between and idea getting commissioned of not. If an idea is unique and different, providing it's well written, this could sway the decision. As a writer having these considerations clearly identified when pitching your idea allows a better understanding for the people you are pitching to and is very important. When pitching, the writers needs to fully understand exactly what they are trying portray because of they don't know their own idea inside out then the people listening to the pitch will not grasp the idea and then they will see no benefit in commissioning the idea. Researching a Production Company before a pitch can be very useful so that the writer is clued up on who they are and what they are about. This can be done best through www.pact.co.uk . There are a few ways in which a script can be commissioned. Firstly, you could apply through Companies such as BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or small Production Companies using their websites ( www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ or www.channel4.com/info/commissioning ) and going through their selection process. Alternatively writers can pitch their idea straight to Independent Directors or Producers skipping the whole application process that would be carried out of writers went to a Company. However a slight drawback with this way could be that the production may be low budget but if produced well, it can be just as effective and still of a high standard. In addition a writer can get their work noticed and possibly lead to being commissioned through attending public events such as film festivals and public talks. This can help spread the word about an idea by socialising with people in the industry that could set you up with commissioning contacts. This may not be a guaranteed way of getting a script commissioned but it helps make connections and getting recognised for the future. Another popular way with writers to get their idea heard is through competitions. They are a great way to get something at least seen and build a reputation when breaking into the industry; hence many writers entering competitions for this reason. A well known competition is with the Sunday Times: The First Light - http://www.firstlightonline.co.uk/fl-awards/the-first-light-awards-2011/the-Sunday-times-competition/

[tvandfilmwriting]

Grahame Homework - Subtext

Subtext is a story that lies beneath the main story. Subtext is a deeper meaning in the dialogue, action, characters, scene and plot. Through the power of subtext it allows the audience to discover meaning through their heart before they understand it though their head, subtext aims at the heart, at feeling. In a film subtext can have many meaning, the audience can interpret it many different ways to how they feel. 

In the Film Spider - Man on the surface the film seems about a superhero helping those people in need however, the deeper meaning is something that every human fins painfully familiar - puberty. At the beginning of the film we are introduced to Peter Parker, a timid boy who is close to his aunt and uncle than he is to girl his age. When he goes on a trip to a museum he is taking a picture of a pretty class mate, inspired by her beauty when he is bitten by a spider that has escaped. Peter reacts like this by running home and exploring the new features to his body that this has given him, yet confused as to how. His body has changed, he develops muscles in new places and his body starts producing this white sticky stuff. Now he has started getting these feeling for girls, as an inquisitive teenage boy would he spends ages trying to figure out exactly how to produce the newly discovered fluid, nervously telling his aunt to go away when she knocks on the door. Even though the audience watch in discomfort it is something that each one of them have either been through or will go through